It is all about the turf in Friday's Stronach 5, as the popular wager with an industry-low 12-percent takeout has all five races from Pimlico Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields scheduled on the turf.
Post time for the Stronach 5 is 4:15 ET, and will begin with Pimlico's eighth race, a 1 1/8-mile turf event for $25,000 maiden claimers.
The first leg of the sequence is a wide-open affair with a 4-1 morning-line favorite in Tipyourhattothat. A 3-year-old by Congrats, the Robert Bailes-trained gelding has three seconds and two fourths from six career starts and drops from a waiver maiden claimer. Pathway to Victory tries the turf for the first time for trainer Michael Trombetta after showing some speed on an off-track last time out. Michael Matz saddled Fog Bound, 10th in his debut April 21.
Gulfstream's sixth race, a five-furlong, $35,000 claiming turf event for fillies and mares, is next with a 7-5 favorite Missing Link, who goes out for his fourth consecutive victory at the distance and surface for trainer David Fawkes. If the race comes off the turf, the 7-5 choice is Royal Habibi, claimed last out from Saffie Joseph Jr. by Jorge Delgado, who is 30-percent off the claim.
The Stronach 5 heads west for legs three and four. Santa Anita's third race, a maiden special weight event for California bred or sired fillies and mares at a mile on the turf, drew a field of six and a 6-5 favorite in Sunshine Babe, coming off a second-place finish May 9 at the distance and surface. So Very Smart tries the turf for the first time in three starts after being claimed last out by Doug O'Neill, who is 20-percent off the claim.
Golden Gate's third race serves as the fourth leg of the Stronach 5. The mile event for $20,000 maiden claimers is wide-open with Drasario (5-2), Summer Fun (3-1), Balius ($-1) Pogo (7-2) and Wild Wager (5-1) all capable of winding up in the winner's circle.
The Stronach 5 concludes at Gulfstream with another five-furlong turf event for allowance optional claimers. The field of eight includes Halcyon Digest (5-2), steadied when finished third last time out, and Todaystheday (3-1), a winner last time out against similar.
Friday's races and sequence
- Leg One – Pimlico Race 8: (11 entries – 1 1/8-mile turf) 4:15 ET, 1:15 PT
- Leg Two – Gulfstream Race 6: (8 entries – 5 furlongs turf) 4:34 ET, 1:34 PT
- Leg Three – Santa Anita Race 3: (6 entries – 1-mile turf) 5:09 ET, 2:09 PT
- Leg Four – Golden Gate Race 3: (8 entries – 1-mile turf) 5:28 ET, 2:28 PT
- Leg Five – Gulfstream Race 8: (7 entries – 5 furlongs turf): 5:36 ET, 2:36 PT
Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.
The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors
The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.
If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.
The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.
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